A method and apparatus for filling motor vehicle gas bags. The inflating gas flows to a manifold, about which a motor vehicle gas bag or bags are disposed, whereby the filling of gas bag (or bags) is delayed, it being filled first with gas filling a part of the manifold, and then with a greater quantity of gas filling the entire manifold upon the rupture of burst disc means.
It has been proposed that inflatable gas bags be employed in motor vehicles and especially automobiles as a means for constraining passengers therein, to prevent serious injuries in the event that the vehicle is involved in an impact. The use of gas bags is suggested in addition to or as an alternative to seat belts which are presently employed. Although seat belts provide excellent protection against serious injury in automobile impacts, they suffer from the disadvantage that they are often not used.
It is proposed that a method be employed which would provide the protection of seat belts without requiring any voluntary act on the part of the motor vehicle driver or passenger. A method and apparatus which meets these requirements is a motor vehicle gas bag. A vehicle gas bag is actuated upon impact automatically. The vehicle gas bag is virtually instantaneously filled upon impact, constraining the automobile occupant in his seat during the critical moments following impact.
It has been found that by slowing down the filling of the gas bag, that is, by delaying at least a part of the filling, that protection may be had for what has become known as the standing child. Momentum is defined as the difference between the momentum of the inflating bag and the momentum of the occupant which, in turn, is proportional to the velocity of the vehicle. This is especially significant when the occupant is a child. The occupant's momentum, of course, is also directly proportional to the mass of the occupant. Thus, a small child, having small mass, has a relatively small momentum upon impact of a slow moving vehicle. If the bag inflates at too high a rate of velocity, serious injury to a small occupant may result. In this situation, a slowing down of the speed with which the bag inflates in the initial stages of inflation results in a safer disposition of the bag in the car. This is particularly useful in the case of a child standing in the right front passenger seat (a child standing on the floor in front of the dash panel).